Potato and Asparagus Salad with Wild Garlic Gremolata
We have just over a month left to eat as much asparagus as possible. Afterward, it's back to waiting, waiting, waiting for the next asparagus season. Our asparagus recipe collection was missing a salad, but today we're changing that by serving you a fresh mix of asparagus, potatoes and beets. The trick is to roast the potatoes and beets in the oven, which adds a subtle roasted flavor to the salad. The asparagus itself will be blanched. It's a gentle cooking method that's easy to do.
To ensure you don't end up with a boring salad, we add roasted almonds and coconut chips for that necessary crunch. And to top it all off, we have a fresh gremolata! Not familiar with it? It's a mixture of fresh herbs, lemon zest, and garlic. It's one of the simplest and quickest ways to add a fresh touch to almost any dish. Depending on the dish, you can vary the herbs used – today, we're using bear garlic, which is also in season. We'll skip the additional cloves since it already has a strong garlic aroma. However, if you're using parsley or another herb, feel free to finely chop an extra garlic clove and add it to the gremolata.
Potato and Asparagus Salad with Wild Garlic Gremolata
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 300 g (0.66 lb) potatoes
- 300 g (0.66 lb) baby beets
- 250 g (0.5 lb) green asparagus
- 50 g (2 oz ) sliced almonds
- 15 g (0.5 oz) coconut chips
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
For the vinaigrette:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp grainy mustard
- 1 tsp agave syrup
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- Salt
- Pepper
For the gremolata:
- 15 g (0.5 oz) wild garlic
- 25 g (1 oz) parsley
- 1 lemon
- 0.25 tsp salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 175 °C / 350°F convection heat. Quarter the potatoes and baby beets, then rub them with olive oil on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for approximately 30 minutes until they are browned and tender. Flip them over once after 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, snap off the dry ends of the green asparagus and cut the stalks into bite-sized pieces. Bring salted water to a boil in a pot and blanch the asparagus for about 3–4 minutes until it is crisp-tender.
Tip: Place the cooked asparagus in an ice bath to stop the cooking process which will keep it green.
Toast the almonds in an oil-free pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes, then add the coconut chips and toast for another minute. Be careful as the chips can quickly burn. Remove the almond coconut mixture from the pan and set it aside.
For the vinaigrette, mix together olive oil, grainy mustard, agave syrup and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Finely chop the wild garlic and parsley for the gremolata. Use a peeler to remove the zest from the lemon and cut it into thin strips. Mix the herbs, lemon zest and salt.
Remove the roasted beets and potatoes from the oven and transfer them to a large bowl along with the asparagus. Add the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Serve with the almond coconut mixture and the wild garlic gremolata.
